Automated systems are used to assemble a variety of devices and structures. One type of system may include multiple robotic systems that are used to form an electrical connector, including a shell, a grommet, and electrical wires. For example, a robotic system may include an arm with an operative end that securely and precisely connects electrical wires to a grommet that connects to a shell. Electrical wires have contacts at terminal ends. A wire tip may be fed through the grommet and engage retention clips in a dielectric beneath a grommet, for example.
The grommet typically includes a plurality of cavities that are configured to receive and retain components, such as the wires, seal plugs, and/or the like depending on a desired, predetermined electrical connection plug map. As each component is inserted into a cavity, the grommet moves such that other cavities shift. For example, as a wire is inserted into a first cavity of the grommet, adjacent cavities neighboring the first cavity radially shift outward. As additional components are inserted into the remaining cavities, the grommet continues to shift such that the cavities of the grommet move away from their original specified locations. Consequently, as additional components are inserted into the cavities, the insertion positions may deviate from intended target destinations. The shifting of the cavities of the grommet may increase with increased insertion of components into the grommet. As a result, electrical wires of an assembled electrical connector may not be accurately positioned, and the formed electrical connector may need to be reassembled, reconfigured, or even discarded.
In known systems, positions of cavities in a grommet are mapped and delivered to a robot prior to insertion of the wires. Due to the shifting of the cavities during the wire insertion process, the robot may not position wires into the cavities as originally envisioned. In short, the robot positioning the wires is typically unable to account for position changes of the cavities, as those positions are mapped prior to the robot inserting the wires.